This is a photo of Maria van Gijsel-Van Bommel, the great-great-great-grandmother of the current management, from 1859. The invention of photography took place a mere 20 years earlier in Paris and London. Photography in 1859 was still very complex and photographs were of poor quality. Taking a photograph took several minutes, chemicals had to be applied to a glass or copper plate shortly before shooting, and the photo plate had to be developed in a darkroom right after exposure.

Due to the low quality, photos often needed to be retouched by hand. It is clear from Maria’s picture that her traditional head covering has been retouched. Presumably, the head covering was underexposed while shooting and it was retouched with a few brushstrokes to appear whiter.

(Image above: Portrait of Maria van Gijsel-van Bommel from 1859.)